Additional lime? No I don't think so. Indeed many grow them quite successfully in containers with no added lime at all other than that already contained in the soil-less potting mix itself. The crucial point in growing in containers is using a large enough container for the plant.

Please understand that pruning of ANY tomato plant is not required. It is purely optional. But bush variety plants are bred specifically for no pruning. Production is lost if you remove suckers. You can remove or trim back a bit any lower leaf branches that are touching the soil. Otherwise just let it grow naturally.

Dave

digdirt - thanks for the feedback

Something like Miracle Grow fertilizer good to use regularly when watering?

Guess I will just let them grow and if they get too big, will look for one of those tomato cages

Suggestions?

MG for Tomatoes or similar fertilizers are used by many for containers but usually, from what I have read, at a diluted strength. I prefer several other brands over MG because of the needed micro-nutrients they supply but it is just a personal preference.

Some advocate 1/4-1/2 strength with every watering, some 1/2 strength once a week, some use full strength something like every 2 weeks. It all depends on the plant appearance and the potting mix used.

Size of container also affects it because the nutrients will leach out of a smaller container much faster than they will out of a larger one.

I've grown it and so will say that Bush Goliath will need some sort of support to keep it from breaking or uprooting itself - it is easily a 3' tall plant - and you need to provide that support now rather than later when the plant is too big to get the support in place. ;)

Dave

Thanks Dave!

Glad I kept my 2 tomato cages :-)

My husband planted a bush goliath in a container with half garden soil and half potting soil. The tomato isn't growing well (it's 9" tall) and the lower leaves are turning yellow. There is one green tomato on it that is about 2" in diameter. Is this normal? If not, what should he do to rescue this tomato plant so we can have a good crop of these sweet tomatoes?

mdi...may be a drainage problem....water should run thru very quickly after you water....perlite or and peat moss helps ...i always use a handful of epsom salt in planting hole, mix in bottom or cover up with inch of soil...if needing fertilizer, liquid fish mix is hard to beat...emulsion early and hydroslate later...emulsion has more nitrogen, which grows leaves etc...you don't need much later...need more p and k to grow the tomato....the indian

The garden soil is probably causing drainage issues. It tends to compact in containers and block the drainage.

Should you add calcum ?
It depend on what your potting medium is. If it came in a bag, read the label to see if it already has calcium. If it does not, then you will need to add calcium. The most common source of calcium for containers is dolomite lime.

For more info you may want to visit "Container Gardening" forum here in GW..

As Cara said, garden soil is not recommended for containers, for the reason being that it can get compacted, causing drainage problem.If your plant is still small you can re pot it into soil less medium.

This post was edited by seysonn on Mon, Mar 31, 14 at 22:55

I will second the advice to avoid garden soil in a container. I learned the hard way myself. Take the plant out and gently wash the roots. Then either plant it in the ground, or fill the container with potting mix.
For fertilizing dilute the fertilizer to half strength. Apply in the time directed. If it says every 7 to 10 days then go with every 7 or so.

My bush Goliaths are 7 feet tall why are growing so tall?